Environment

When the core body temperature is below 95 °F hypothermia can develop. It happens if the body loses heat faster than it can be produced. In her Catching Health blog, Diane Atwood explains why some people are at risk even if they don't go outside. Read more...

Prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, personal care products, flame retardants, detergents and new types of herbicides and pesticides. What do these items have in common? They’re all emerging contaminants that have detected at trace levels in drinking water.

Two years ago, 43-year-old Maine firefighter Mike Nixon was diagnosed with malignant melanoma — the most dangerous form of skin cancer. "I had a spot develop in a weird place on my ear," he says. "It wasn't on top where you'd think people would get skin cancer, where there is sun exposure. It was up near the top part of my left ear, but underneath the fold in the shaded part — the one and only part that is shaded except the ear canal. My wife spotted it.

When Ricker Hamilton got stung by a wasp a few years ago, he immediately began showing signs of a severe allergic reaction. It was third time in 20 years that he'd been stung and thankfully, he carried an EpiPen just in case. It probably saved his life.

The warmest it's supposed to get in my neck of the woods this coming week is 30°F. Not even above freezing! Cold weather like this increases the risk of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning because people are more apt to use space heaters for extra warmth. Anything that burns fuel can be a source of carbon monoxide. The gas is produced when the fuel is not completely combusted, which can happen if an item or appliance is poorly maintained or not used or vented properly. Read more ...